tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38932066534381897172024-03-15T22:08:32.954-04:00space1970The Science Fiction Films and Television Series of the SeventiesChristopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.comBlogger999125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-3485771159855692422017-07-31T00:00:00.000-04:002017-08-03T03:45:14.063-04:00PLANET OF DINOSAURS (1978) Behind-The-Scenes Effects Gallery<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUuteoEddvKmRd9zCr7dN8xZ3qUb9vktDam_z_QvPJTgZjzpD4xbn3Whgrs7kqwTRB67upFMlEC84UP1nLFqdXTYisuyjLpu8ouaAHh8u_u6bTZCApqO98LWHX1pY5CshXZJ7qgSz2z59/s1600/Aupperle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUuteoEddvKmRd9zCr7dN8xZ3qUb9vktDam_z_QvPJTgZjzpD4xbn3Whgrs7kqwTRB67upFMlEC84UP1nLFqdXTYisuyjLpu8ouaAHh8u_u6bTZCApqO98LWHX1pY5CshXZJ7qgSz2z59/s1600/Aupperle1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Animator Jim Aupperle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm very fond of the 1978 sci-fi film <i>Planet Of Dinosaurs</i>. Sure, it's cheap as hell and the script is banal and the performances by the subpar cast are marginal, at best. But it is one of the last, great stop-motion animation special effects movies, with tons of terrific FX sequences by <b>Jim Aupperle, Doug Beswick</b> and <b>Stephen Czerkas</b> (Aupperle & Czerkas had both worked on <i>Flesh Gordon</i> and would go directly from this production to create stop-motion sequences for Filmations' <i>Jason Of Star Command</i>, while Beswick went on to <i>The Empire Strikes Back</i>).<br />
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<b>Space: 1970 </b>is proud to share this gallery of behind-the-scenes shots, courtesy of <b>Mark Wolf</b>, with the Star Kids Alliance and other Old School effects fans. For my money, there's nothing like practical, handcrafted miniatures and animation models, brought to life by skillful artists and technicians "in camera."<br />
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I'm not going to go off on a long-winded rant about today's "soulless CGI"... but no matter how spectacular and entertaining much of it is, consider this: I can't name a single computer effects creator I admire, while I can name <i>several dozen</i> practical effects artists whose work I can recognize on sight and enjoy over and over again.<br />
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><i>Countdown: this is <b>Space: 1970</b> post #999...</i></span>Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-9602150449335691512017-07-28T00:00:00.000-04:002017-07-28T00:40:17.346-04:00News: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Returns To Theaters In September <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On September 1st, Sony/Columbia Pictures will be re-releasing <b>Steven Spielberg's</b> 1977 sci-fi classic, <i>Close Encounters Of The Third Kind </i>to theaters with a 4K remastered digital presentation. A couple weeks later, on September 19th, this version will be released on both HD Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray.<br />
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Based on this official trailer, it looks as if virtually all of the film grain has now been digitally scrubbed from the movie, giving it a modern, digital video appearance.<br />
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I have mixed feelings about this. The 2007 Blu-ray was gorgeous, and had a truly "filmic" appearance, awash in glorious, vintage 1970's 35mm filmstock grain. The new transfer looks very sharp and clear, but just doesn't look like a Seventies movie anymore. I get that that's probably what Sony wants - they're trying to keep the property commercially viable - but it bugs me. I'm also annoyed by the fan response to this which is praising it for "cleaning up" the film. But that's where we are today, I'm afraid. <br />
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><i>Countdown: this is <b>Space: 1970</b> post #998...</i></span>Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-48318687396829984832017-07-26T00:00:00.000-04:002017-07-27T14:09:14.965-04:00LOGAN'S RUN (1976) Promo Featurette<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fw9eUc6vPvI?rel=0" width="500"></iframe></div>
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Courtesy of YouTube user "<b>Greathall75</b>," here is a nicely restored copy of MGM's nearly 8 minute-long advance featurette created to showcase the spectacle of their forthcoming sci-fi epic, <i>Logan's Run</i>.<br />
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This rare promotional film premiered on January 13, 1976 at the MGM owners meeting,
held at the MGM studio in Hollywood, California. It was also shown to exhibitors at
the National Association of Theater Owners convention in March of
1976.<br />
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Since it was never inteneded to be seen by paying audiences, it includes a number of what would now be considered "spoilers." It also contains clips from deleted scenes, as well as alternate
camera angles of familiar sequences from the film. The music is from <i>Ice Station Zebra</i>
(1968) as <b>Jerry Goldsmith</b> had not yet finished recording the <i>Logan's Run</i> score.<br />
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Enjoy.<br />
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><i>Countdown: this is <b>Space: 1970</b> post #997...</i></span>Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-8087249607612897262017-07-24T00:00:00.000-04:002017-07-25T19:39:16.340-04:00SALVAGE 1 (1979) TV Guide Ad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTij1_f2saZ-nQLtzdXxRwfG3ogzuxAE_xLzWNHBpMMGN7RdzmekzcmvbGiQOeJO-zCNFTYM8P-vf6ZhWL_jMWSr1UUbXp_125ohDlulzj9jWMirCOvo76JNO5Dnu4rKW1Xmi-l1fUyG3/s1600/Salvage1_TVG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTij1_f2saZ-nQLtzdXxRwfG3ogzuxAE_xLzWNHBpMMGN7RdzmekzcmvbGiQOeJO-zCNFTYM8P-vf6ZhWL_jMWSr1UUbXp_125ohDlulzj9jWMirCOvo76JNO5Dnu4rKW1Xmi-l1fUyG3/s1600/Salvage1_TVG.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>"I want to build a spaceship, go to the moon, salvage all the junk that's up there, bring it back and sell it."</i><br />
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The TV movie, <i>Salvage 1</i>, starring <b>Andy Griffith, Joel Higgins</b> and <b>Trish Stewart</b>, debuted on ABC on January 20th, 1979. The telefilm, which chronicled a salvage expert's attempt to build a spaceship and travel to the moon (to salvage all the stuff NASA's Apollo astronauts left behind, as noted above), was a surprise ratings smash.<br />
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The weekend it aired, I was staying at my cousins' house while my folks were on a snowmobiling excursion in Canada. I vividly recall commandeering the TV set and forcing everyone to watch the movie, which I, as I remember, I found incredibly engrossing. The characters were likable, the junkyard spaceship - named <i>The Vulture</i> - was oddly believable and the actual trip to Luna seemed entirely possible (<b>Isaac Asimov</b>, according to his own autobiography, was a scientific advisor). I haven't seen it since, though, so I have no idea how it would play today.<br />
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The ratings success of the telefilm led to a 20 episode (although only 13 were aired in its network run) <i>Salvage 1</i> weekly series. I only saw a few of those, and I remember them being a real letdown, with mostly earthbound stories, and <i>The Vulture </i>being used only sparingly. <br />
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As far as I can tell, just two of the episodes are available as Manufacture-On-Demand DVDs from Sony, and neither is the pilot film. The titles available are "Golden Orbit" and "Hard Water," both of which originally aired as two-parters.<br />
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><i>Countdown: this is <b>Space: 1970</b> post #996...</i></span>Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-11524844919212692192017-07-21T00:00:00.000-04:002017-07-25T19:39:31.404-04:00THE BLACK HOLE "Press-Out Book" (1979)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3G3T32r0xt8C35FdQ3AINPoOLd5prETxbUD2-glRQJoqf-AJxUb_FiutX7ulUNTHsTqcuPwJJH2lZAYoVGlOXvWkZX_CspIvRzlrkbwW2Cdwv1ZjKLytq81rjMv8rqwMWDuhPFfcKIdgj/s1600/blackhole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="444" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3G3T32r0xt8C35FdQ3AINPoOLd5prETxbUD2-glRQJoqf-AJxUb_FiutX7ulUNTHsTqcuPwJJH2lZAYoVGlOXvWkZX_CspIvRzlrkbwW2Cdwv1ZjKLytq81rjMv8rqwMWDuhPFfcKIdgj/s640/blackhole.jpg" width="464" /></a></div>
Here's a cool artifact of the 1970s, a <i>Black Hole </i>"Press-Out" Book, with fold-up paper spaceship models from Disney's 1979 outer space epic.<br />
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The book was printed on a light cardstock, and you'd press-out perforated images of the various <i>Black Hole</i> ships like <i>The Cygnus</i> and <i>The Palomino</i>, and fold them into cool little replicas of the cinematic spacecraft.<br />
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I kind of want this book now, though I doubt today's kids would find it much of a diversion. Not many people - adults or children - seem to build models anymore, of any kind. Why bother when everyone'll have a 3D printer soon, I guess?<br />
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><i>Countdown: this is <b>Space: 1970</b> post #995...</i></span>Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-47742332702179057712017-07-19T00:00:00.001-04:002017-07-19T03:33:12.710-04:00Guest Post: THE TOMORROW PEOPLE: "Into The Unknown"<i><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Here's our first Guest Post on </b></span></i><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Space: 1970</b></span><i><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>, from Star Kid <span style="color: white;">Venger Satanis</span>. </b></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>I'm not personally familiar with </b></span></i><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>The Tomorrow People</b></span><i><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b> at all - it aired in the UK from 1973 to 1979, and while it was syndicated in some U.S. markets (and on Nickelodeon in the 80s), it never played anywhere I could see it. It dealt with the "next stage in human evolution," and centered on a group of young people with a range of mutant psionic powers. Sounds like the </b></span></i><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>X-Men</b></span><i><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b> to me! It's been remade twice - in the 1990s, and most recently, for the CW in 2013.</b></span></i><br />
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I used to watch the mid-seventies British TV show, <i>The Tomorrow People</i> when I was a kid. This was in the U.S. during the 80s. I remember seeing various episodes more than once, so Nickelodeon must have replayed the episodes over and over again. Lots of interesting sci-fi ideas and adventures that could only be fully appreciated by a 10 year old boy.<br />
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Today, I'd like to write about one story in particular. I already looked on the internet and couldn't find more than one review of the four episodes comprising this tale, and the reviewer wasn't complimentary. He thought it was boring.<br />
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However, what "Into the Unknown" lacks in action, it makes up for in cosmic horror. Not the kind of cosmic horror you'd find in that <i>Space: 1999</i> episode with the Lovecraftian monster lurks at the center of that starship graveyard, but another kind. This cosmic horror is a slow and subtle dread. A haunted house in space that brushes its inhabitants up against the unknown. As Lovecraft stated, fear of the unknown is the greatest of all human fears.<br />
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So, this <i>Tomorrow People</i> story is well named. Why is the title apt? <br />
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There's a hole in space. It's black, but it's not a black hole. It's not really identified or identifiable at all, except for the aforementioned description. By the time the viewer reaches episode three, the main characters find themselves journeying through that space hole.<br />
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It reminded me of the 1963 film <i>The Haunting</i>. Isolating, dark,unexplained, vulnerable... the characters are at the mercy of forces they don't understand. We, the audience, don't understand them either. The starless void is clearly not where human beings are supposed to be. It seems actively hostile - or ambivalent, at the very least - as the characters' ship travels onward.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIk1sioONnfaybGBU9R47nFgonKTIiYCagBFDlpQdhedR8EypINlr5AGEJsS6gFWhs9BXjF-bQ6Dq_AfLPikdMnjBV4tnNuTB33_OImNOUAP6IwrehPXHATdLQD1p659Ml-HIAxqlxC5t/s1600/Tp-into-the-unknown01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIk1sioONnfaybGBU9R47nFgonKTIiYCagBFDlpQdhedR8EypINlr5AGEJsS6gFWhs9BXjF-bQ6Dq_AfLPikdMnjBV4tnNuTB33_OImNOUAP6IwrehPXHATdLQD1p659Ml-HIAxqlxC5t/s1600/Tp-into-the-unknown01.jpg" /></a></div>
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Little things like losing control, the ship speeding up or slowing down on its own, the darkness and then light. No one knows exactly what the Hell is going on. Such weirdness would be merely a novelty if the characters didn't have any agency. Thankfully, they do. In fact, they have to make a major decision that will affect the outcome. This decision point has to be made without much to go on, being in the midst of an alien phenomenon. The lack of clarity only makes it more terrifying. The characters can either trust their instincts or the supernatural, neither of which is particularly reassuring.<br />
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And in the end, we never get a full account of what that hole in space was. Oh sure, there are subjective interpretations - a sort of circularity, perhaps - but nothing concrete, nothing official, nothing we can point to that will comfort our fear of the unknown.<br />
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I won't spoil the thing by going through every detail with a fine-toothed comb, but wanted to give you enough information so you could judge whether to watch it for yourself. As a 10 year old boy, I was fascinated by this story's feeling of dread. Re-watching it last week, the impression is nearly as strong as it was three decades ago; however, I can better appreciate what the writer was trying to convey.<br />
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Who am I? <b>Venger Satanis</b>, of course! If you have any interest in paper & pencil roleplaying games, check out my site: <a href="http://vengersatanis.blogspot.com/">http://vengersatanis.blogspot.com/</a>Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-1704072263036883392017-07-17T00:00:00.000-04:002017-07-17T13:09:31.391-04:00In Memoriam: Fallen Stars of 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGwJZXhuu5kiGGXeL_rZoIBdWT2Sns3GmOpY8JnTAhhd9lhyphenhyphenOYhA-I3amibwEiXPJkZ-hOxVgYBqzwB6ZlcrC_uOWBtqVE_we4pf4N2yIteAaTm3QamhK99esYroGeRjeHDwo8isptVfm/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGwJZXhuu5kiGGXeL_rZoIBdWT2Sns3GmOpY8JnTAhhd9lhyphenhyphenOYhA-I3amibwEiXPJkZ-hOxVgYBqzwB6ZlcrC_uOWBtqVE_we4pf4N2yIteAaTm3QamhK99esYroGeRjeHDwo8isptVfm/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></a></div>
This past weekend, it was announced that actor <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Martin Landau</b></span>, best known to readers of this site and children of the Seventies as the humanistic Commander John Koenig of <i><b>Space: 1999</b></i>, had passed away at the age of 89. A renowned performer, Landau's screen career began on television in the early 1950s, and included memorable roles on <i>The Twilight Zone </i>and <i>The Outer Limits</i>. After turning down the role of Spock on <i>Star Trek</i>, the actor became a household name with a three-year stint on the hit spy series <i>Mission: Impossible</i>, on which he co-starred with his then-wife, <b>Barbara Bain</b>. (Ironically, <b>Leonard Nimoy</b> replaced him on <i>M:I</i> when Landau left the show.) <br />
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In 1975, he and Bain co-starred on the British science fiction series <i>Space: 1999</i>. His role as the intellectual commander of Moonbase Alpha, an artificial habitat on the surface of the wandering Moon, was iconic. After a career slump in the Eighties, the actor received acclaim and Oscar nods in the 90s, with his win for his portrayal of legendary horror star Bela Lugosi in <b>Tim Burton's</b> <i>Ed Wood</i> being especially notable.<br />
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Godspeed, Commander.<br />
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As this blog was on hiatus for the last few months, I didn't post notices of the passings of two other <b>Space: 1970</b> icons (although I did note them on this site's Facebook page.) I want to correct that now.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">•</span> </b></b></span>On May 24th, <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Jared Martin</b></span>, star of the 1977 sci-fi series, <b><i>The Fantastic Journey</i></b>, died at age 75. A prolific television actor, Martin not only portrayed the enigmatic, time traveling futurian Varian on <i>Journey</i>, but made guest appearances on <i>The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, Logan's Run</i> and <i>The Six Million Dollar Man</i>. In the late Eighties, he starred as Dr. Harrison Blackwood on the <i>War Of the Worlds</i> television series for two seasons.<br />
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I always liked Martin - he possessed an otherworldly quality that served him particularly well in genre roles. He will be missed.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">•</span> </b></b></span>Back in February, we lost <b><i>Battlestar Galactica's</i></b> original Captain Apollo, <span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Richard Hatch</b></span>. He passed away on February 7th, at the age of 71. As the heroic, responsible fighter pilot, Hatch's Apollo was a genuinely positive role model for 70s Star Kids, and his loss is heavily felt. His connection with the role and the show never faded; in the 90s he produced a "pilot film" for a proposed revival and co-authored several novels continuing the adventures of the <i>Galactica </i>and its multi-generational crew.<br />
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When the series <i>was </i>finally rebooted in the early 2000's by the SyFy channel, Hatch joined the cast as Tom Zarek, and provided the voice of Apollo for the 2003 <i>Galactica </i>video game.<br />
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I like to think that he has been taken aboard the Ship of Lights for an eternal journey among the stars...<br />
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Let's hope that I don't have to write any more obituaries this year.<br />
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<br />Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-35950311761945278642017-07-14T00:00:00.000-04:002017-07-16T14:07:25.715-04:00Blast Off With The Original BUCK ROGERS... In 1977<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL99wArCClw2m1ww4R3Bcrq_aBkN9c8wUGerGdbWh9XjzOR1wRIX9oyWesL5LrKQaL5ks30NZzBKtG4t7Wm7axr8yCjZjzhnA3St0GJglej2Md7YTI8eM8B1pvFCXloOR9VUMxYh8TrKyP/s1600/Buck_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL99wArCClw2m1ww4R3Bcrq_aBkN9c8wUGerGdbWh9XjzOR1wRIX9oyWesL5LrKQaL5ks30NZzBKtG4t7Wm7axr8yCjZjzhnA3St0GJglej2Md7YTI8eM8B1pvFCXloOR9VUMxYh8TrKyP/s1600/Buck_b.jpg" /></a></div>
I remember seeing this newspaper ad "slick" in the pages of <i>Starlog </i>(Issue #10 or #11, I think), and it was my very first glimpse of the original Buck Rogers serial. Riding <i>both </i>the <i>Star Wars </i>sci-fi juggernaut and the general wave of pop culture nostalgia prevalent in the 70s, opportunistic independent film distributor Crystal Pictures licensed the 1939 Universal <i>Buck Rogers</i> chapterplay starring <b>Buster Crabbe</b> and made it available to revival theaters and college campuses.<br />
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I have no idea how successful this theatrical campaign was, but within a year, Universal had begun work on their own <i>Buck Rogers</i> revival, which eventually led to the 1979 TV pilot/theatrical film and subsequent television series.Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-79065558647429205622017-07-12T00:00:00.000-04:002017-07-12T00:00:25.941-04:00PLANET OF THE APES TV Annuals<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLXi20BDSbW7xyA5o1wKO6XzRbEt3u4xfu0f_IQr_EfjSM_iZshypXCxWe0jnofLdAY10rkM3BVdOI98kGy4c5_XV0JmPfL3mRq4z0u2e8B100KXCJ_L0eybKYoCk56ylhjnbKA78HAmU/s1600/Apes+c77+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="553" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLXi20BDSbW7xyA5o1wKO6XzRbEt3u4xfu0f_IQr_EfjSM_iZshypXCxWe0jnofLdAY10rkM3BVdOI98kGy4c5_XV0JmPfL3mRq4z0u2e8B100KXCJ_L0eybKYoCk56ylhjnbKA78HAmU/s640/Apes+c77+cover.jpg" width="440" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1975 Annual</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvjzNE7QCjGUghMgMuS8ZXKjXL-DyebnAAkPmgFjjgsMkXQGKx9z-aiandxmvOpVXpv7QD7Haup4X4mhWgChQp9Ioq8M1Q0ornCfRNn4Hpt__6Dx_dchr6ZIZgKnOtjVqjioPLoho8XjE/s1600/Apes+c76+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="549" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvjzNE7QCjGUghMgMuS8ZXKjXL-DyebnAAkPmgFjjgsMkXQGKx9z-aiandxmvOpVXpv7QD7Haup4X4mhWgChQp9Ioq8M1Q0ornCfRNn4Hpt__6Dx_dchr6ZIZgKnOtjVqjioPLoho8XjE/s640/Apes+c76+cover.jpg" width="438" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1976 Annual</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH28zKhtmy2RonX9T-rshEYCrM5YgJSaDmtaFyj7Nby1J7ksOE88Vk9jJg8ByAr0dPCu4xmmRkGRocRg-47l-hfkAXgDD_WEtw4DJrd63qteYOzCsshKBYf96Pz9gMw3V2N02Tuy245w2Y/s1600/Uk77_01s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="508" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH28zKhtmy2RonX9T-rshEYCrM5YgJSaDmtaFyj7Nby1J7ksOE88Vk9jJg8ByAr0dPCu4xmmRkGRocRg-47l-hfkAXgDD_WEtw4DJrd63qteYOzCsshKBYf96Pz9gMw3V2N02Tuy245w2Y/s640/Uk77_01s.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1977 Annual</td></tr>
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Here are the covers for the UK <i>Planet Of The Apes</i> Annuals, published by Brown & Watson between 1975 and 1977. As with all of these uniquely British publications, these were hardcover books aimed at children, containing articles, stories, comics and activities/puzzles.<br />
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Having grown up in U.S., I never knew these publications existed until I was an adult and saw images of them on the Internet. I now have a <i>Space: 1999</i> annual and the <i>Star Maidens</i> one, both bought online a few years ago. I wish I'd had these as a kid - especially the ones that tied-in with short-lived genre shows like <i>Man From Atlantis</i> and <i>Logan's Run</i>.Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-46189814506756085192017-07-10T00:46:00.001-04:002017-07-10T01:01:12.731-04:00SPACE ACADEMY (1977) TV Guide Article<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5lpZrMH1KRIkj7FD4D4L3L8e327eNIwUqy8fzG6Npq_K7m7LWOAr3o7XPGHuzOMY3Fi_H1Xy7Rpniv0bm3PY4pBCq0qlygyZJ3R1EGvTtv9CaTROekBJuYaTauAcIw3lmU6qcsBjRTbI/s1600/space-academy-1977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5lpZrMH1KRIkj7FD4D4L3L8e327eNIwUqy8fzG6Npq_K7m7LWOAr3o7XPGHuzOMY3Fi_H1Xy7Rpniv0bm3PY4pBCq0qlygyZJ3R1EGvTtv9CaTROekBJuYaTauAcIw3lmU6qcsBjRTbI/s640/space-academy-1977.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
I have very distinct memories of seeing this <i>TV Guide</i> photo spread back in '77, showcasing the (still) impressive miniature location of Filmation's kidvid classic, <i>Space Academy,</i> and marveling at all the tiny details.<br />
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Even today, I remain impressed at the quality of the studio's in-house effects work, which, in my opinion, rivaled that of <i>Space: 1999</i> and <i>Battlestar Galactica</i>, on a fraction of the budget. (I'm pretty sure that producer <b>Lou Scheimer</b> was inflating the numbers a bit in the article.)Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-91870913559002748552017-07-07T00:12:00.001-04:002017-07-07T00:12:36.130-04:00The Origins Of The Cylons<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CBYVrYQiHdo?rel=0" width="500"></iframe></div>
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After the cancellation of the original <i>Battlestar Galactica</i>, Universal re-edited the episodes into two-hour movies and offered them to independent stations as a syndication package.<br />
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At least one of these, the "Experiment In Terra" telefilm, included a prologue that showed American astronauts discovering the Battlestar Galactica's log book floating in space. Within it, Adama details the origins of the Cylon race as reptilians who were ultimately conquered by their own cybernetic creations.<br />
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Since those telefilms were not released on home video, nor aired anywhere that I ever lived, I never saw this footage until today. Check it out!Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-58090765838598846422017-07-05T10:00:00.000-04:002017-07-10T22:53:08.132-04:00MESSAGE FROM SPACE: GALAXY WARS Graphic Novels (1979)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0v6SZvVnMMpxBiHMP_gW_WYkY-zEBxC2DCoZUWgXnonZvU81lvvf4VZzhzLAAGgSfvVM6xwaX4maFFLUEyNCy-rOduUeWeoX51qS_XS3v2JzE4uo1B8AA1ZishdMC9Fe06WHGyyvd6Jt/s1600/messagespace_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="688" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0v6SZvVnMMpxBiHMP_gW_WYkY-zEBxC2DCoZUWgXnonZvU81lvvf4VZzhzLAAGgSfvVM6xwaX4maFFLUEyNCy-rOduUeWeoX51qS_XS3v2JzE4uo1B8AA1ZishdMC9Fe06WHGyyvd6Jt/s640/messagespace_n.jpg" width="458" /></a></div>
I haven't posted much about the <i>Message From Space: Galaxy Wars </i>television series, spun off from the Japanese feature of the same name, because until recently, I knew very little about it. I still don't have a lot of information about the series, but I know it was popular in Europe (especially France), and in English-speaking markets it was known as <i>Space Ninja</i>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5mAtovZxfgAPSIOAOo9KLRn8i4lm-yllvBGU9z3o98JrRuSx_uFL8XEWinBGAGzjEBwUsjtruaYiLppo53Sx-U46BY8NY8IC5KA_Jfx9JSBWTd1f59QYng4OxqPSzkwd9wk_r3YE0ylc/s1600/tumblr_inline_os40yoc4v71rvkpf6_540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="540" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5mAtovZxfgAPSIOAOo9KLRn8i4lm-yllvBGU9z3o98JrRuSx_uFL8XEWinBGAGzjEBwUsjtruaYiLppo53Sx-U46BY8NY8IC5KA_Jfx9JSBWTd1f59QYng4OxqPSzkwd9wk_r3YE0ylc/s400/tumblr_inline_os40yoc4v71rvkpf6_540.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
There was also a feature-length compilation/condensation, called <i>Swords Of The Space Ark</i>. I actually found and watched it on YouTube some months ago. It was fun, although it made little sense. The strongest connection to the original movie seemed to be the re-use of both miniatures and actual effects shots.<br />
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This artwork is from the cover of one of a pair of graphic novel adaptations, published in France by Dargaud in 1979 and 1980, written and illustrated by <b>Pierre Frisano</b>.<br />
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<i>Thanks to <b>August Ragone</b> for the info!</i>Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-79050283434174669122017-07-04T22:28:00.001-04:002017-07-04T22:28:50.998-04:00Hungarian CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND Poster (1977)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_CuO9QKEWYMf8EL4OZTBjh2BbPARh0xSsk03stSyzR5hEwpQNMfOScESgcFEVTXA08yJoftgYHdmcwTB5G9wrPMJZbYzI7_cCfOzK1BbjpfVxyrFrUoj54xhuij1WIz1OBswL6eQkGKO/s1600/hungariance3k.jpg-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1010" data-original-width="700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_CuO9QKEWYMf8EL4OZTBjh2BbPARh0xSsk03stSyzR5hEwpQNMfOScESgcFEVTXA08yJoftgYHdmcwTB5G9wrPMJZbYzI7_cCfOzK1BbjpfVxyrFrUoj54xhuij1WIz1OBswL6eQkGKO/s640/hungariance3k.jpg-large.jpg" width="442" /></a></div>
Here's a cool find - a Hungarian one-sheet for <b>Steven Spielberg's</b> classic 1977 UFO epic, <i>Close Encounters Of The Third Kind</i>. It has a funky quality I kinda dig. <br /><br />I have no information on the artist's identity, but, as always, if anyone has info to share, post it in the comments!Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-70237150370864832902017-01-27T16:01:00.000-05:002017-01-27T16:01:01.154-05:00VULCAN! (1978) Cover Art By Bob Larkin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIRYyBPsjuQhCGm-0_wqxbnrUC8E-lN8hm-auhqSFhn2NsBQQWesc4QmokBJG58WHy-HIg074ebGYFL5I4TCnmXHys4GEV58allvALqOmHL1RDRl1HtavsQ91aHzS194kS6PGPI1tggRp/s1600/9e3b0c34efcaef49528b20a6fc68a557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIRYyBPsjuQhCGm-0_wqxbnrUC8E-lN8hm-auhqSFhn2NsBQQWesc4QmokBJG58WHy-HIg074ebGYFL5I4TCnmXHys4GEV58allvALqOmHL1RDRl1HtavsQ91aHzS194kS6PGPI1tggRp/s1600/9e3b0c34efcaef49528b20a6fc68a557.jpg" /></a></div>
I remember receiving a copy of <b>Kathleen Sky's</b> original <i>Star Trek</i> novel, <i>Vulcan!</i>, in my Christmas stocking in 1978. I spent the rest of that holiday afternoon at my grandmother's house ignoring my relatives, reading it.<br />
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I haven't revisited it in decades (though I still have my original copy), so I can only barely recall the plot. I've since learned that it was based on a spec script the author had submitted to the <i>Trek </i>offices during the Original Series' third year. Supposedly, Roddenberry liked it, but as the show was canceled without a fourth season, the script was never produced. A decade later, she adapted it into a novel for Bantam Books.<br />
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I may not remember the story very well, but I never forgot the striking cover art. Here's a scan of the original cover painting by the masterful <b>Bob Larkin</b>, found online. Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-41977119491970578642017-01-15T14:39:00.001-05:002017-01-15T14:39:19.115-05:00Behind-The-Scenes Pix #53: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ25IKLOHxuKbqeFrjgRN2ZjmhtDqyP58z58-5PtiLvrAD9B4xmVuitQI_07TuqdikNNXkAU2iYAZ2h0djCezEOjrQVDusyHi8Zc67drZ21EWXkhoIwBjvWe0PE-1BO00h7ao04VKtCGUq/s1600/BSGbts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ25IKLOHxuKbqeFrjgRN2ZjmhtDqyP58z58-5PtiLvrAD9B4xmVuitQI_07TuqdikNNXkAU2iYAZ2h0djCezEOjrQVDusyHi8Zc67drZ21EWXkhoIwBjvWe0PE-1BO00h7ao04VKtCGUq/s1600/BSGbts.jpg" /></a></div>
While Lieutenant Starbuck (<b>Dirk Benedict</b>) catches up on the day's news between takes, the talented (and extraordinarily patient) chimpanzee who portrayed the robot <i>daggit</i>, Muffy, gets some fresh air. I'll never understand how the producers ever found a chimp who could stand working in that suit, especially since that head had so many little motors in it. Good thing he (or she) wasn't claustrophobic!Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-5545790472077380362017-01-11T00:57:00.002-05:002017-01-11T02:44:26.560-05:00Bionic Pin-Ups by Jeff Cummins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm not sure where these pin-ups of <i>Six Million Dollar Man</i> Steve Austin and <i>Bionic Woman</i> Jaime Sommers by artist <b>Jeff Cummins</b> originally appeared - I'm not familiar with that <i>Sci-Fi</i> logo - but I'm sure one of you will let me know. In any case, I think they're pretty cool.<br />
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>UPDATE:</b></span> Sure enough, over on Facebook, Star Kid <b>Glen Mullaly</b> identified the source as the UK magazine <i>Sci-Fi Monthly</i>. I'd never heard of it. Thanks, Glen! Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-17558698472459733172016-12-19T13:19:00.001-05:002016-12-19T14:07:17.899-05:00German SPACE: 1999 Comics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmWf6jniff17i36rfcwNuvehFIaFCqQNw7aztnAADbx_7oHhwAlmKKWAHjVr9TYLBwOCRBkUPXjHneoTvt-TZHO04jHZBvNDQMuQ2AVcA20QZ0ok9n09qHRe0pMAQszgL96rz8nZ2N4TA/s1600/Alpha1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmWf6jniff17i36rfcwNuvehFIaFCqQNw7aztnAADbx_7oHhwAlmKKWAHjVr9TYLBwOCRBkUPXjHneoTvt-TZHO04jHZBvNDQMuQ2AVcA20QZ0ok9n09qHRe0pMAQszgL96rz8nZ2N4TA/s1600/Alpha1.jpg" /></a></div>
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These terrific <i>Space: 1999</i> (<i>"Mondbasis Alpha 1"</i>) comics covers from Germany were sent to me over two years ago (!) by reader <span class="gD" name="Kessler Tobias"><b>Kessler Tobias</b>, but got lost in my e-mail. In any case, better late than never! Kessler didn't include any publication info, or identification of the artists, but damn, look at these! 50's pulp-styled robots! Giant ants! Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span class="gD" name="Kessler Tobias"><br /></span>Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-53760500732756857342016-11-04T12:36:00.001-04:002016-11-04T12:36:54.712-04:00THE INCREDIBLE HULK (1977)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgu0KuQ7boXUjj3oZba22SO09l86nVibctcfyhIr_utEvYplfWmmSovDd5IkFR9ODHDZqwBIUEUEyhYNnfJEWeOhl53vPdr3_1HgAwqaVBdeCgQIP9ORV8nsl338s-UEOf-jAyd0M35Za6/s1600/hulk+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgu0KuQ7boXUjj3oZba22SO09l86nVibctcfyhIr_utEvYplfWmmSovDd5IkFR9ODHDZqwBIUEUEyhYNnfJEWeOhl53vPdr3_1HgAwqaVBdeCgQIP9ORV8nsl338s-UEOf-jAyd0M35Za6/s1600/hulk+.jpg" /></a></div>
On this day in 1977, CBS aired Kenneth Johnson's first <i>Incredible Hulk</i> television
movie, which led to a five year, 82 episode weekly series. My thirteen year-old mind was blown... and I've never been quite
right since.Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-83592160149088372592016-10-21T00:57:00.001-04:002016-10-21T00:58:28.636-04:00BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS (1980) NBC Television Intro<div style="text-align: center;">
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Here's the NBC television intro for their early-80s presentation (the video says 1983, but I'm pretty sure it actually aired in '82) of <b>Roger Corman's</b> space war epic, <i>Battle Beyond The Stars</i>. This was the first time I saw the film, and I remember that I had some friends over that evening and we had a great time watching it. I always thought it amusing that NBC blurred out St. Exmin's (<b>Sybil Danning</b>) cleavage, especially since the network was well known for its T&A-centric programming.Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-77353895822174134042016-10-17T16:20:00.003-04:002017-08-03T03:45:56.166-04:00Rare PLANET OF DINOSAURS (1978) Poster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4FoQaxgnzgg7vDKD6b0aczALSOiAi4jH0MNrSiM474GCv6pYjpTqd38jPTO_kTc_0fFF7pub-bFR4VFCzRB601DF1ItafvdIuaux59pNkPwyYdBQSyE_Jl6GFhBjbbRdXvc3Dl4IVesG/s1600/LebanesePoster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4FoQaxgnzgg7vDKD6b0aczALSOiAi4jH0MNrSiM474GCv6pYjpTqd38jPTO_kTc_0fFF7pub-bFR4VFCzRB601DF1ItafvdIuaux59pNkPwyYdBQSyE_Jl6GFhBjbbRdXvc3Dl4IVesG/s1600/LebanesePoster.jpg" /></a></div>
A variety of <i>Star Wars</i> spacecraft meet prehistoric beasties in this rare poster for 1978's <i>Planet Of Dinosaurs</i>. This image was recently posted on a Facebook stop-motion animation fan group, and identified by <i>Dinosaurs </i>effects artist <b>Jim Aupperle</b> as being of Lebanese origin.<br />
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Regardless of its origins, it's delightful example of International hucksterism, 70's sci-fi pop art... and shameless copyright infringement! Enjoy!Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-55520928389307598752016-09-16T09:26:00.000-04:002016-09-16T12:17:44.443-04:00BUCK ROGERS on CD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzYQBBT02TgxHr70XKN2TVpO5YfRV3sfoZR67_QM6j_l9BJkNAd8vMcTTNtjyJTPbtRc7Pc5Yj54dsAYCYjgOhKzicKCx_rEjIh4Lb3TOfOtFE4aejSDRVxCWutP3hUYNzyd2_B7Wgr_h/s1600/BuckRogers1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzYQBBT02TgxHr70XKN2TVpO5YfRV3sfoZR67_QM6j_l9BJkNAd8vMcTTNtjyJTPbtRc7Pc5Yj54dsAYCYjgOhKzicKCx_rEjIh4Lb3TOfOtFE4aejSDRVxCWutP3hUYNzyd2_B7Wgr_h/s1600/BuckRogers1.jpg" /></a></div>
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A couple years ago, Intrada released two multi-disc CD collections of incidental music from both seasons of <i>Buck Rogers In The 25th Century</i>. The two volumes represent pretty much all of the original musical cues composed by <b>Stu Phillips, Johnny Harris, Les Baxter, Bruce Broughton</b> and several others for the 1979-80 NBC space opera series.<br />
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They've gotten a bit hard to find, and are expensive when you do, but they come highly recommended, as they transport you back to Buck's 25th century and provide hours of nostalgic listening.<br />
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Today's post, though, is primarily to showcase the gorgeous cover art by <b>Paul Shipper</b>. They're great illustrations.Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-62349228278129699232016-09-08T15:14:00.000-04:002016-09-08T15:14:05.523-04:00STAR TREK (1966)<br />
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="5luic-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="5luic-0-0"><span data-text="true">I’m one year older than <i>Star Trek</i>.
Of course, as memories of my early years are lost to the fog of infancy
and toddlerhood, I don’t recall really becoming aware of its existence
until I was about nine years old, when, in 1974, the </span></span><span data-offset-key="5luic-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span data-offset-key="5luic-0-0"><span data-text="true"><i>Star Trek</i></span></span>
animated series became a staple of my Saturday morning cartoon viewing.
Around the same time, I received a Mego Captain Kirk action figure for
Christmas. Other random <i>Trek </i>toys – and a few <b>James Blish</b> paperback novelizations – followed, and for Christmas of 1976, my favorite cousin gifted me with a copy of <b>Bjo Trimble’s</b> </span></span><span data-offset-key="5luic-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span data-offset-key="5luic-0-0"><span data-text="true">seminal <i>Star Trek Concordance</i></span></span>.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="293jh" data-offset-key="4uq4l-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="4uq4l-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="4uq4l-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="293jh" data-offset-key="c5p97-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="c5p97-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="c5p97-0-0"><span data-text="true">You’ll have noticed that I haven’t mentioned the original series as yet, and that’s because, in the early Seventies, <i>Trek </i>rarely
appeared on any of the four television channels our rooftop aerial was
capable of snagging out of the ether. So my love for Kirk, Spock, McCoy,
et al, was first nurtured via the cartoon and Blish paperbacks. When I
got the <i>Concordance</i>, with its encyclopedic coverage of the
classic series, I was able to familiarize myself with the episodes I had
not yet seen, whetting my appetite to the point of nigh-insatiability.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="293jh" data-offset-key="djkfv-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="djkfv-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="djkfv-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="293jh" data-offset-key="8poh4-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8poh4-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="8poh4-0-0"><span data-text="true">Of
course, eventually, I saw the entire series (although a few of those
episodes eluded me until my sojourn to art school in Jersey in the early
80s, where I finally received a TV channel that aired the show
nightly), and, already well-indoctrinated in the mythos, found my
passion for the 23rd century and the crew of the U.S.S <i>Enterprise </i>continuing to grow and thrive. Then came <i>The Motion Picture</i>, <i>The Wrath</i> and <i>The Search</i>. There was a <i>Voyage Home</i>, a somewhat disappointing detour into <i>The Final Frontier</i>, and an emotional denouement on the shores of an <i>Undiscovered Country</i>.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="293jh" data-offset-key="cn5o1-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="cn5o1-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="cn5o1-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="293jh" data-offset-key="8d575-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8d575-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="8d575-0-0"><span data-text="true">Other
treks followed, with next generations, lost voyagers and denizens on
the edge of deep space, but it was always the (sadly truncated) original
Five-Year-Mission that inspired and informed the person I became.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="293jh" data-offset-key="3k8je-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="3k8je-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="3k8je-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="293jh" data-offset-key="5fr3l-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="5fr3l-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="5fr3l-0-0"><span data-text="true">I
learned the value of reason and logic from an alien with pointed ears
and a Satanic visage. I learned the nobility of humanity and compassion
toward <i>all </i>life, regardless of shape, color or form, from an
anachronistic Southern medic. And, most importantly, I learned about the
worth of boldness, courage, and tempered wisdom from a charming leader
with a confident swagger sporting a gold tunic. Kirk was a fighter, a
diplomat, a philosopher - and a libidinous wolf – but in my eyes, he was
the best of us as a species. He wasn’t perfect – and to his credit,
usually admitted his flaws and acknowledged his mistakes – but he was
also a man of intelligence <i>and </i>action, who sought out brave new worlds and always had his eye on the future.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="293jh" data-offset-key="18dcq-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="18dcq-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="18dcq-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="293jh" data-offset-key="vu6d-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="vu6d-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="vu6d-0-0"><span data-text="true">I have aspired to all of these things, and usually fallen woefully short. But </span></span><span data-offset-key="vu6d-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span data-offset-key="5luic-0-0"><span data-text="true"><i>Star Trek</i></span></span>
continues to fire my imagination, fuel my creative efforts, inform my
social conscience and drive my personal ambitions. To me, it’s not <i>just </i>a
television show, and apparently, many, many others feel the same way.
If that wasn’t the case, then we wouldn’t be celebrating the anniversary
of its debut fifty years ago today. The brand wouldn’t be gracing new
movies and TV shows (regardless of their relative merits) on our
screens, large and small(er). And </span></span><span data-offset-key="vu6d-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span data-offset-key="5luic-0-0"><span data-text="true"><i>Star Trek</i></span></span> wouldn’t <i>still </i>be sparking imaginations and inspiring so many people, of all ages and backgrounds. </span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="293jh" data-offset-key="f9uns-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="f9uns-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="f9uns-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="293jh" data-offset-key="4odlc-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="4odlc-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="4odlc-0-0"><span data-text="true">May <b>Gene Roddenberry’s</b> vision of humanity’s future live long and prosper... and the U.S.S. <i>Enterprise</i> and her valiant crew go boldly on forever.</span></span></div>
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Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-63545270583265483312016-08-07T03:35:00.001-04:002016-08-07T14:10:12.581-04:00Happy 40th Anniversary, STARLOG!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ahh... this stunning cover painting of <i>Star Trek</i>'s Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock by <b>Jack Thurston</b> graced the first issue of <i>Starlog </i>magazine, back in August, 1976. Which means that <i>this </i>month marks <b>40(!) </b>years since the debut of the 70's greatest science fiction media periodical, a magazine that was literally my bible for two decades.<br />
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<i>(Actually, as former </i>Starlog <i>honcho <b>David McDonnell</b> points out in the comments below, the first issue actually went on sale in June of that Bicentennial year. I stand corrected. Still... better late than never!)</i> <br />
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<i>Starlog </i>not only kept me informed of new and upcoming genre films and television, but opened my mind to the classic (and not-so-classic) productions of the past. It was in the pages of <i>Starlog </i>that I first discovered the films of <b>George Pal</b>, the television series of <b>Irwin Allen</b>, and the original <i>Buck Rogers</i> and <i>Flash Gordon</i> movie serials. It fed my insatiable hunger for behind-the-scenes information on special effects and gave me countless cool photographs of miniature spaceships and alien monster to obsess over.<br />
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Yeah, <i>Starlog </i>was an important part of my formative years... in many ways, the biggest part.<br />
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In retrospect, maybe I should have called this site <i>Starblog</i>...?Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-69577498627967499932016-07-18T01:33:00.001-04:002016-07-19T02:54:00.603-04:00Captain's bLog: 0718.16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">•</span> </b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Return Of The Blogger:</span></b> Wow. I haven't posted a "Captain's bLog" entry since November, 2014. Of course, I haven't posted to the blog much at all for the last couple of years, though I've never completely abandoned it. Working on this blog has always been a labor of love for me, but after six years of fairly regular posting, it eventually became a bit harder to justify the time I spent on the blog.<br />
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There are a number of reasons for this; most prominently, I've been spending more of my time on my comic book writing. Time and energy spent writing posts about <i>Battlestar Galactica, Planet Of The Apes, Ark II</i> and <i>The Incredible Hulk</i> was time I wasn't spending on writing comic book scripts, publisher pitches or short stories.<br />
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Additionally, a couple years back, my state lawmakers made it so that I could no longer earn money through Amazon referrals, and while I never made significant cubits that way, the payments that I did receive at least helped amortize the time spent on 70s sci-fi nostalgia. Every once in a while, generous readers made donations to the site, and I always tried to pay back their kindness with extra content, but such contributions were few and far between.<br />
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I also had some discouraging feedback that undercut my enthusiasm for retro blogging, such as a fairly vicious comment thread on Reddit where my passion for this subject matter was savaged and I was accused of being a sexist monster for the "Space Babes" feature. Perhaps I shouldn't have, but I took it personally.<br />
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Still, as I mentioned before, I never completely abandoned this blog, posting occasionally when the mood struck or I found something cool I really wanted to share, or had a relevant news item to post.<br />
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Ultimately, I'm still here... and I'm pondering ways to increase the frequency of updates here on the blog and ways to refresh and "reboot" the site. I'm considering opening the blog up to occasional "guest posts" from other Star Kids (if you're interested, drop me a line at <b>atomicpulp@gmail.com</b>), and will probably start posting capsule reviews of the few <b>Space: 1970</b>-era television shows that still are not commercially available in the U.S., like <i>Project U.F.O.</i> and <i>The Fantastic Journey</i>. Look for more "Fave Fives" and "Hall of Fame" posts, as well.<br />
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Justifying my time on the blog (and, thus, away from my other writing) is still a concern, but I received a very generous donation from a <b>Space: 1970</b> fan this weekend,
so I'll be making a sincere effort to publish more frequent blog updates throughout August and September.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzR5Up2fegoPIBZUiQcXvyyPHsMcbjxEZuRb5P06y2DP_BPW1HPTQrvdo1iiidZIQhFzslYySrE5bFj9e6cTI0ji09Ch-wR0E8IL2ioylZAYY9I3LgHZaRKiAMZ7bQQUOHfOy7H6Wah43R/s1600/popx_ap_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzR5Up2fegoPIBZUiQcXvyyPHsMcbjxEZuRb5P06y2DP_BPW1HPTQrvdo1iiidZIQhFzslYySrE5bFj9e6cTI0ji09Ch-wR0E8IL2ioylZAYY9I3LgHZaRKiAMZ7bQQUOHfOy7H6Wah43R/s320/popx_ap_01.jpg" width="212" /></a>Sometime soon, look for a review of a rarely-seen 1981 fantasy telefilm and a new "Fave fives" post.<br />
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Thanks to all of you who haven't given up on <b>Space: 1970</b>. Your patience and support is appreciated.<br />
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<b><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">•</span> </b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Shameless plug:<i> Perils On Planet X</i> in print!</span></b> Over the past few years, I've occasionally mentioned my comic, <i>Perils On Planet X</i>. Originally serialized online, the entire, three-issue pulp space opera miniseries was officially published earlier this year under my own Atomic Pulp imprint, and is now available in print via mail order from <a href="http://www.indyplanet.us/atomicpulp/" target="_blank"><b>IndyPlanet</b></a>.<br />
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Each issue is
32 full-color pages, printed on high-quality, heavy paper stock. All three issues are also available as digital downloads, for those who prefer to read comics electronically.<br />
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If you're a fan of stuff like <i>John Carter of Mars, Flash Gordon</i> or <i>Blackstar</i>, you might enjoy <i>Perils</i>. It's got monsters, rayguns, jetpacks, swordplay, sexy lady sky pirates, and a beautiful space princess. I'd appreciate it if you checked it out.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><b>• </b><span style="color: red;">Space: 1970 Wants You:</span></b></span> I've always been open to - and grateful for - submissions from my readers. Now I want to outright <i>encourage </i>you folks to send me any cool <b>Space: 1970</b>-era
stuff you might think would be interesting to your fellow Star Kids.
Rare photos and production art, behind-the-scenes stills, nominations
for "Space Babes" or Reader Polls, pretty much anything, really. Hell,
even if you'd like to write a Guest Post, just e-mail me. I'll do my
best to credit any contributions I use, of course. Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893206653438189717.post-16576197996541746052016-07-17T00:57:00.001-04:002016-07-17T14:05:04.804-04:00WARLORDS OF ATLANTIS (1978) Press Stills<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This weekend, we've got a handful of press photos from the 1978 <b>John Dark-Kevin Connor</b> adventure fantasy, <i>Warlords Of Atlantis</i>, starring stalwart <b>Doug McClure</b> and lovely <b>Lea Brodie</b>.<br />
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While it's not my favorite of the Dark/Connor/McClure epics, I do enjoy revisiting it once a year or so. It's not based on an Edgar Rice Burroughs novel this time, but the filmmakers follow the same basic formula, and have added some highly imaginative touches of their own. The creature effects are low-tech fun, and, the rapid pace and slightly tongue-in-cheek tone makes for another entertaining Saturday matinee adventure.<br />
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It's too bad that it's still not readily available on home video in the U.S.<br />
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Christopher Millshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15978811373546110421noreply@blogger.com2